Every year, pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars trying to convince doctors to use their products. It is not uncommon for representatives from these companies to present doctors with all sorts of gifts, ranging from keychains to free lunches. This was done with the intent of gaining an opportunity to promote their new product or drug. On average, doctors will meet various representatives around 16 times every month. Furthermore, 94% of the doctors kept the gifts whether they used the product or not. While not all doctors are influenced by these gifts, with many following strict ethical guidelines and relying on peer-reviewed research, this practice still raises concerns.
Trained To Be Convincing
Representatives from pharmaceutical companies are taught how to be persuasive when it comes to dealing with doctors. At a Senate Aging Committee, Shahram Ahari, a former representative for Eli Lilly, stated that his job was to “reward physicians with gifts and attention for their allegiance to your product and company despite what may be ethically appropriate.” Ahari further stated that his classes included lessons on how to gift samples to influence potential sales and use the gifts to foster quid pro quo relationships. Thankfully, hospitals and academic medical centers have certain policies that limit these interactions.
Using Former Cheerleaders As Drug Reps
In her book, Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher, Gwen Olsen said they were also taught how to exploit sexual tension and spend lavishly on important clients. While this may be anecdotal, her role as a high-end frug rep still provides insights into the industry. While you might not think that a meeting with a representative from a drug company would generate much sexual tension, the companies believed otherwise. In fact, it’s common knowledge that many pharmaceutical companies would hire former cheerleaders to work as reps in the past. This was apparently due to their outgoing, enthusiastic personalities and good looks. As an associate professor at the University of Michigan, psychiatrist Thomas Carli once put it, “You’ll never meet an ugly drug rep.” While it is not a universal practice, using cheerleaders and models to serve as reps is one of the methods used to persuade doctors.
Results of a PLoS Study
According to a PLOS study, the most susceptible physicians most likely to prescribe the promoted drugs to as many people as possible are targeted. The authors of the study speculate that, “Physicians are often susceptible to corporate influence because they are overworked, overwhelmed with information and paperwork, and feel underappreciated.” Therefore, when charming beautiful women walk in bearing gifts, providing sympathy and appreciation, some doctors often take the bait all too easily. The goal of all these sympathetic words, gifts, and lunches is not to help patients or doctors, it is to increase the market share of these drugs. While this is cause for concern, studies have also shown that most doctors strive to make objective decisions when it comes to medication prescriptions and are aware of the pitfalls of representative influence.
Getting Inside the Head Of Physicians
According to Olsen, the reps for these drug companies even have role-playing sessions. There they are taught how to act in response to questions and resistance from the physicians. They learn how to get inside the physician’s mind and get a better understanding of their typical prescription habits. Companies also purchase data from pharmacies which gives them insight into which drugs the physician is prescribing to his patients. Using this information, the representatives can determine how effective their sales pitches were and make changes where necessary. Yet, many doctors are fully aware and wary of these tactics. The majority of doctors continue to approach their jobs critically, especially when it comes to evaluating new drugs.
Staying Safe As A Patient
So, now you may be wondering how you can stay safe. How do you prevent being prescribed a medicine simply because a doctor was persuaded to prescribe it. You don’t know what the doctor’s intentions are for prescribing a drug, yet you can still research it. Find out what the drug is meant to do and what the potential side effects are. You can also find out if there are safer or more natural options available to you. However, it’s important to note that most doctors don’t blindly prescribe drugs just because they received gifts. Furthermore, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires transparency in financial relationships between pharmaceutical companies and doctors.
The Bottom Line
While there are companies that encourage reps to persuade doctors to prescribe their products, not every doctor is susceptible. Moreover, not every pharmaceutical company practices these methods. Very often, valuable information is relayed to doctors in these meetings. However, it is up to the doctor to decide whether it is applicable or not. Many physicians are all too aware of these devious practices and still put the health of their patients first. However, the practice itself is still cause for concern and brings to light how unscrupulous some pharmaceutical companies can be. If you are unsure of the medications you are being prescribed, do some research. See for yourself if it really is your best available option.
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